1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to LCD manufacturing and, more particularly, to a system and method for improving TFT-array manufacturing yields.
2. Background of the Related Art
Yield management is important in LCD manufacturing. In LCD manufacturing, a single large plate of glass is divided into just a handful of LCD panels. As consumer demand grows for larger and larger displays, substrates get larger and the number of LCD panels per glass plate decreases. Accordingly, production yields are critical in LCD manufacturing.
The majority of the costs of an LCD panel comes from manufacturing. As a result, profitability is closely linked to yield rates. Any changes in yield rates will have a financial impact.
LCD panel production is a highly automated process involving various manufacturing stages. Each manufacturing stage consists of many complex steps. For example, one stage of the process creates the thin-film transistor arrays on the glass substrate, which includes multiple passes of thin film deposition, resist layers, exposure, development, etching and stripping. The opportunities for defects occur at nearly every step of every stage in the manufacturing process.
Defects take several different forms, and can generally be divided into optical, mechanical and electrical defects. Some of these defects can be repaired, while others are permanent and may be severe enough to render the LCD panel unusable.
Optical defects are the most common defect. When this type of defect is present, a pixel is “stuck” in either a bright state, in which the pixel always transmits light, or a dark state, in which the pixel never transmits light. The most common cause for this type of defect is an electrical problem, such as a short or an open circuit in the cell's transistor or signal leads. Light or dark spots can also be caused by foreign particle contamination between the glass plates, or between the LCD panel and the backlight.
Another type of optical defect is non-uniformity, which can be caused by non-uniform cell gaps that result in varying thickness of the liquid crystal layer. Uniformity problems can also be caused by errors in the rubbing process for liquid crystal alignment layers, inconsistent color filter thickness or incomplete removal of chemical residues.
Mechanical defects can include broken glass and broken electrical connections. Broken electrical connections can arise from improper assembly, errors in alignment of the components and/or mishandling.
Some LCD manufacturers use testing and inspection equipment that can automatically evaluate panels at intermediate points in the manufacturing process. In some cases, the defects can be automatically repaired. However, comprehensive testing in the LCD production process slows down production. In addition, there are capital and maintenance costs associated with the test equipment. Accordingly, manufacturers have to balance the need for comprehensive and accurate testing against the need to avoid slowing production as much as possible.